Local Voices, New Stories: Debut Authors in Conversation

Join locals; Celia Silvani, Marni Appleton and Rupert Dastur for a lively conversation about being a debut author. They’ll share their writing journeys, the challenges they overcame, and what they’ve learned along the way. Perfect for readers, aspiring writers, and anyone who loves discovering new talent.

Celia Silvani is an author, communications director and reality TV superfan. She lives in London with her husband and two sons. Just Between Mothers, about the vulnerability of pregnancy and a catastrophically toxic birth forum, was published by Orion in 2025. She has recently completed her second novel. 

Marni Appleton is a writer living in London. She holds a PhD in creative-critical writing from the UEA. The Indigo Press published her debut short story collection, I Hope You’re Happy, in February 2025.

Rupert Dastur is a writer, editor and publisher. His writing has been shortlisted for the Bath Short Story Award and the Fish Short Story Prize and won the Federation of Scottish Writers Award in 2018. He is the founder of TSS Publishing and director of The Cambridge Prizes for Short Fiction. Cloudless is his debut novel.